Parole:

A type of early release from prison where the parolee
must abide by certain specified conditions and be supervised in the
community by a parole officer.

At the federal level, the release of a prison inmate – granted by the U.S.
Parole Commission – after the inmate has completed part of his or her
sentence in a federal prison. When the parolee is released to the
community, he or she is placed under the supervision of a U.S. probation
officer.

The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 abolished parole in favor of a
determinate sentencing system in which the sentence is set by sentencing
guidelines. Now, without the option of parole, the term of imprisonment
the court imposes is the actual time the person spends in prison.